Employee Handbook Best Practices in 2024 and Beyond: Recent Rulings, Laws, and Enforcement Trends
Social Media Policies, Leave Updates, Confidentiality Provisions, and Other Recent Developments
Recording of a 90-minute CLE video webinar with Q&A
This CLE webinar will guide employment counsel on drafting or revising employee handbooks. Many topics contained in employee handbooks--such as employee leave, discrimination, sexual harassment, technology and social media, company confidentiality, employee privacy, and whistleblower/retaliation protection--have been the subject of recent legal, regulatory, and judicial developments, as well as the need to account for changes due to hybrid or fully remote work arrangements. Failure to take these and other recent changes into account can expose a company to liability. The panel will address recent developments in federal and state law that should be considered when drafting or revising employee handbooks.
Outline
- Recent developments impacting employee handbooks and policies
- Federal updates
- Notable state developments
- Best practices for drafting employee handbooks
- Special issues for multistate, nationwide, and global employers
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- What are the most common handbook provisions being challenged by employees and government agencies, including the NLRB and EEOC?
- What types of prohibitions on employee communications in employee handbooks run afoul of the NLRA?
- What challenges arise for counsel and their clients related to leave policies given the increase in state legislation requiring paid leave? How may leave best be addressed in handbooks, especially for multistate employers?
- What are best practices for drafting handbook provisions to mitigate unintended legal liability?
- What are unique drafting challenges for multistate and global employers? How can these be addressed by counsel when advising their clients?
Faculty
Emily Chase-Sosnoff
Partner
FordHarrison
Ms. Chase-Sosnoff focuses her legal practice on providing counsel and representation to management clients in matters... | Read More
Ms. Chase-Sosnoff focuses her legal practice on providing counsel and representation to management clients in matters related to labor and employment law. She has represented employers in a host of employment law matters including cases involving discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour, and employment contract disputes. Ms. Chase-Sosnoff has appeared before federal and state courts and administrative agencies at the federal, state, and local level such as the U.S. EEOC and the New Mexico Human Rights Bureau, among others. In addition to her litigation experience, she is committed to helping her clients avoid litigation when possible by providing day-to-day guidance on maintaining positive employee relations through sound workplace policies, procedures, and trainings. Ms. Chase-Sosnoff represents clients in a broad range of industries including healthcare, education, and hospitality.
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Sarah N. Turner
Partner
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Ms. Turner's litigation experience includes defending employers in wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment,... | Read More
Ms. Turner's litigation experience includes defending employers in wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, invasion of privacy, defamation, and wage and hour suits in state and federal courts. She counsels, trains, and represents clients on a broad range of employment law issues, including hiring, review, and termination procedures; workplace investigations; discrimination, harassment, and retaliation issues; wage and hour law and FMLA issues. Ms. Turner also drafts and updates personnel policies, workplace privacy issues, employee handbooks, drug and alcohol policies, employment agreements, trade secret issues, and non-competition agreements.
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Renate M. Walker
Attorney
Seyfarth Shaw
Clients look to Ms. Walker for practical guidance to implement effective strategies and resolve the legal and... | Read More
Clients look to Ms. Walker for practical guidance to implement effective strategies and resolve the legal and operational challenges associated with employment-related matters. She advises clients on a broad range of employment-related matters, including handbook and policy drafting, leaves and accommodations, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Ms. Walker is experienced in running internal investigations and conducting workplace training on employment-related topics such as sexual harassment and union avoidance.
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